March 16th 2020 and trapped in the middle of this overblown, toilet paper hoarding, food depleting Coronabullshit. I have had zero flying since last August 2019 aside from my annual helicopter ride for work a couple of months back. The garage build took my entire summer of free time and I skidded over the finish line on October 30th less than two weeks before the first snow hit.
This upcoming summer I have no obligations as far as having to erect a two-story building so i'm free to play again. But with that being said, as my life typically goes lately, i'm injured again. As soon as one thing heals, another caves. And this time my shoulder has returned to what can be described as 'Crystal-normal' and stays in it's socket. But now, after having severe back pain and problems for the last several months that I ignored while keeping up on my weightlifting routines, I finally got to a point where I couldn't even sneeze, put on my socks, or pick anything up off the floor. After the usual pokes, prods, and imaging, I was diagnosed with an annular tear of my L5-S1 disc and arthritis in both vertebrae. My physical therapist has pleaded with me to not participate in stupid shit. Hang gliding falls into that category, unfortunately. Particularly carrying my broken-down glider around and the jolt on my back from the landings.
We've been inundated with all of this freakishly warm weather and I've been getting antsy for the start of the flying season but it looks like it's over before it starts. The aviation remedy for the time being is powered flight and working towards my tug pilot rating for the next few months. I'm starting my lessons back up this week for my private pilot license at the Portland Jetport. Wheeling in my Sport 3 is an option this season, and may be exercised come this summer if my back is healing and i'm chomping to get in the air. But for now I can't risk a hard foot-landing or shitty wheel-in as my doctor said i'm basically one bad jolt from a possible blown disc. I haven't been able to work out in a month now and i'm already going insane. I'm hoping I caught it early and the recovery time isn't going to take as long as they're saying. I have a couple more months of down time to see where my back is at when the park opens..
My desire to hang glide has returned with the absence of it for the last year and a half, but for now I have to focus on healing and taking it easy.
